King George V of the United Kingdom | Unofficial Royalty King George V of the United Kingdom Photo Credit – Wikipedia King George V was born on June 3, 1865, a month early, at Marlborough House in London, England, the second son and the second of the six children of King Edward VII and his wife Alexandra of Denmark . His parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, wanted to name him George after Prince George, Duke of Cambridge . The baby’s grandmother, Queen Victoria, thought the name George was too modern: “George only came over with the Hanoverian family.” The Prince and Princess of Wales held their ground with the name George, but had to agree to add the name Albert, so the baby’s name was George Frederick Ernest Albert. He was called Georgie in the family. At the time of his birth, George was third in the line of succession after his father and his brother Prince Albert Victor (Eddy) and he was styled Prince George of Wales. In 1892, George was created Duke of York, and when his father became king in 1901, he automatically became the Duke of Cornwall.

He was created Prince of Wales on November 9, 1901. Prince George was christened at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle on July 7, 1865. His godparents were: Princess Victoria (1868 – 1935), unmarried Princess Maud (1869 – 1938), married 1896 King Haakon VII of Norway; had issue Prince Alexander John (April 6, 1871 – April 7, 1871) George was only seventeen months younger than his brother Eddy. Because of the closeness in age, the two brothers were brought up and educated together. In 1877, Eddy and George joined the Royal Navy’s training ship, HMS Britannia. The brothers remained aboard the Britannia for nearly two years before embarking on a three year cruise on the HMS Bacchante. Always accompanied by their tutor Mr. Dalton, the brothers visited the Mediterranean, the West Indies, South America, South Africa, Australia, China, and Japan. In 1883, the brothers were separated. Eddy attended Trinity College, Cambridge University and George continued in the Royal Navy.

While serving in the Royal Navy, George commanded Torpedo Boat 79 in the waters around the United Kingdom and HMS Thrush in the North America. His last active service was the command of HMS Melampus in 1891–92. George wanted to marry his first cousin Princess Marie of Edinburgh, the daughter of his uncle Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. His grandmother Queen Victoria, his father and his uncle all approved the match, but the mothers did not, and Marie was instructed to refuse when George proposed to her. On December 3, 1891, George’s brother Prince Eddy proposed to Princess Mary of Teck whose mother was a first cousin of Queen Victoria, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the youngest child of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (the seventh son and tenth child of King George III and Queen Charlotte). The wedding set for February 27, 1892, but on January 14, 1892, Eddy died of pneumonia. After the death of Prince Eddy, Mary and George, now second in the line of succession, spent much time together. As time passed and their common grief eased, there was hope that a marriage might take place between them.

George proposed to Mary beside a pond in the garden of his sister Louise’s home, East Sheen Lodge, on April 29, 1893. The engagement was announced on May 3, 1893 with the blessing of Queen Victoria. The couple married on July 6, 1893, and eventually became the beloved King George V and Queen Mary. George and Mary on their wedding day; Photo Credit – Wikipedia George and Mary had six children: King Edward VIII (Duke of Windsor after his abdication): (1894-1972) married Wallis Simpson, no issue King George VI : (1895-1952) married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, had issue Mary, Princess Royal : (1897-1965) married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, had issue View image | gettyimages.com In 1901, after the accession of King Edward VII, George and Mary toured the British Empire, visiting Malta, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

In 1906, they toured India and then traveled to Spain for the wedding of George’s first cousin Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg to King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Soon afterward, George and Mary traveled to Norway for the coronation of King Haakon VII, George’s first cousin, and Queen Maud, George’s sister. On May 6, 1910, George’s father King Edward VII died and George became King. His coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 22, 1911. See Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary . In December of 1911, King George V and Queen Mary traveled to India for the Delhi Durbar where they were presented as Emperor and Empress of India. View image | gettyimages.com Certainly the most difficult period of George V’s reign were years of World War I when the United Kingdom and its allies were at war with the Central Powers, led by the German Empire. Not only did about 1 million people from the United Kingdom and its colonies die, but the war pitted royal family against royal family. George was the first cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

He was also first cousin to both Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, who was overthrown in 1917, and his wife who was born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine. At first the British government offered asylum to Tsar Nicholas and his family, but the offer was later withdrawn. The tsar and his family remained in Russia and all were executed in 1918. In 1919, Tsar Nicholas’ mother Maria Feodorovna (George’s maternal aunt, born Dagmar of Denmark) and other members of the extended Russian Imperial Family were rescued from the Crimea by British ships. King George V, on the right, with his first cousin Tsar Nicholas II of Russia; Photo Credit – Wikipedia During World War I, on July 17, 1917, King George V issued a proclamation changing the name of the British Royal Family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment. All George’s British relatives relinquished their German titles and styles, and adopted British-sounding surnames. The king’s compensated his male relatives by creating them British peers.

All this led George’s cousin Kaiser Wilhelm to remark that he would attend a performance of Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg” at the earliest opportunity. George’s relationship with his eldest son and heir Edward, Prince of Wales (known as David in the family, the future King Edward VIII) was strained. The king was disappointed in his son’s failure to settle down and appalled by his affairs with married women. However, he was fond of his second son Prince Albert (known as Bertie in the family, the future King George VI). In 1935, King George V prophetically said of his eldest son, “After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself within 12 months”, and of Prince Albert and his elder daughter Elizabeth, “I pray to God my eldest son will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne.” In his final years, King George had a number of problems exacerbated by his habit of smoking including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pleurisy.

On January 15, 1936, King George V went to bed at Sandringham House complaining of a cold, gradually became weaker, and drifting in and out of consciousness. On January 20, when the king was close to death, his doctors issued a bulletin with words that became famous: “The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close.” As the king lay dying of bronchitis, Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn, Physician-in-Ordinary to King George V, gave him a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine, thereby hastening the king’s death to ensure that the announcement of the death would appear first in the morning edition of The Times and not in some lesser publication in the afternoon. King George’s remains lay in state in Westminster Hall in London, England where an estimated 809,000 filed past his casket. As a mark of respect to their father, the king’s four surviving sons, King Edward VIII, Prince Albert, Duke of York, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Prince George, Duke of Kent, took the positions of the guards around the catafalque.

Known as the Vigil of the Princes, it was repeated in 2002 when the remains of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lay in state in Westminster Hall. Her four grandsons Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and David, Viscount Linley took the place of the guards. The funeral for King George V was held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle where he was also interred. View image | gettyimages.com King Edward VIII abdicated less than a year later and his brother Prince Albert, Duke of York ascended the throne, taking the regnal name George VI. King George VI was followed on the throne by his daughter Queen Elizabeth II , the Lilibet her grandfather hoped would become queen. Royal Residences Of The British Monarchy - British Monarchy Family History British Monarchy Family History Royal Residences Of The British Monarchy As you read about the many monarchs featured on this website you will come across the names of many castles and palaces, some of which are universally recognised and some virtually unheard of.

The United Kingdom is awash with palaces, castles and stately homes, but not all of them are owned by royals, in fact Queen Elisabeth II actually owns only five royal residences, two castles, two palaces and one stately home and of those five only two are actually privately owned by herself. These five royal residences have not always been the homes of choice of former monarchs however, with several castles and palaces, some of which are no longer with us, having been used by previous monarchs. Listed below, in alphabetical order, are thirty one royal residences which have been the official homes or holiday retreats of either the English, British or Scottish monarchs over the past one thousand years. BALMORAL CASTLE Image courtesy of Stuart Yeates, wikimedia commons Balmoral Castle is situated in Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire in Scotland and is one of only two privately owned royal residences of the monarch. Originally built in 1390 by Sir William Drummond for Scotland's King Robert II, the castle was formerly rented by and then brought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a holiday home in 1848 and remodeled into what we see today.

Since then the castle, which is now part of a fully working 64,000 acre estate, is one of the royal family's favourite retreats, with the family taking regular annual Summer holidays there. Beaumont Palace was built around 1130 by England's King Henry 1. The palace stood in what is today part of the grounds of Blenheim Palace - the country's only non royal, non episcopal country house which is known as a palace - located in Woodstock in Oxfordshire. The palace was the birthplace of the future King Richard I in 1157 and his younger brother the future King John in 1167. The palace was dismantled during the years of the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1541 and it's stone used in the construction of the two great seats of learning, Christ Church University and St John's College, both of which are located in the City of Oxford. BRIDEWELL PALACE Bridewell Palace was commissioned by King Henry VIII and became his official residence between 1515 and 1523.

It was situated on the banks of the River Fleet in east London and named after a nearby well dedicated to St Bride. In 1553 King Edward VI gave the palace to the City of London for the housing of the poor and homeless. Since then the palace has been a poorhouse, a hospital and a prison before being demolished in 1863. The palace is best remembered for being the site of the papal delegations concerning King Henry VIII’s divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon. BOLEBROKE CASTLE Built around 1480 Bolebroke Castle, which is located in Hartfield in Sussex, is actually a red brick manor house set in thirty acres of land. The castle, which has been designated as a Grade II listed building, was used extensively as a hunting lodge by King Henry VIII when he attended shooting parties in nearby Ashdown Forest. Later Henry would use the castle as his main base for conducting his affair with Anne Boleyn as it is located just five miles from her family home of Hever Castle situated in the nearby village of Edenbridge in Kent. Today the property is a four star hotel.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE Image courtesy of Dilif, wikimedia commons Situated on The Mall in the City of Westminster and known as Buck House throughout the land, Buckingham Palace has been the official royal residence of the British monarchy since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. Originally built in 1703 from a design by William Winde for the Duke of Buckingham, the house first became a royal residence in 1761 when King George III had architects John Nash and Edward Blore remodel the building for his wife Queen Charlotte. Today the palace is a massive 828,818 sq ft (77,000 sq mt) and the primary official residence of Queen Elisabeth II. The palace is used for royal duties, royal functions, as a residence for visiting heads of state, the world famous changing of the guard ceremony and a rallying point for the British public in times of national rejoicing or crisis. DUNFERMLINE PALACE Dunfermline Palace was built in the eleventh century and became a royal house when Scotland's King Malcolm III moved there.

The palace, which is located in Fife and annexed to the former Dunfermline Abbey, was the birthplace of two of Scotland's monarchs, King David II in 1324 and King James I in 1394. In 1589 the palace was given by King James VI as a wedding present to his new bride Anne of Denmark, who went on to give birth to three of their children there, Elisabeth in 1596, Robert in 1602 and the future King Charles I in 1600. After the Union of the Crowns in 1603 the palace became little used and went into decline. Today all that is left of the palace are it's former kitchens, some cellars and it's south wall. The above picture shows the palace's former gatehouse which linked the palace to Dunfermline Abbey. ELTHAM PALACE Eltham Palace began life as a moated manor house located in Greenwich, South London. It went on to be used by subsequent royal families well into the sixteenth century, before it fell out of favour owing to it being situated too far away from the River Thames.

The first mention of the house was when it was given to King Edward II in 1305 by the then Bishop of Durham, Antony Bek. In the 1470's the house underwent substantial alterations by King Edward IV, including the building of the Great Hall and gardens. The Palace went on to become a firm favourite of the Tudor monarchs who were known to hold their annual Christmas festivities in it's baronial Great Hall. It was also a particular favourite of Elisabeth Tudor, the queen consort of King Henry VII, who much preferred the solitude of the grand house to that of the bustling and vibrant Greenwich Palace. The house and gardens went into a decline for two centuries after it became used as a farm and pastureland, before being given further restorations in 1828. In the early 1930's the house was then purchased by textile magnate, Stephen Courtauld and his wife Virginia, who proceeded to refurbish the house into the masterpiece of Art Deco elegance and sophistication that can be seen today.

In 1944 the house was commissioned by the military and used as an army education facility before being bought by English Heritage in 1995, where they then proceeded major refurbishment works on the house and gardens in 1999. Today the house and gardens, which are now Grade II listed, are open to the public every Summer between April and September. FALKLAND PALACE Falkland Palace is located in Cupar, near Fife, in Scotland and is one of the most important Stuart residences in the land. The palace dates back to the twelfth century where it was then owned by the Clan MacDuff of Fife. It was acquired by the Scottish crown during the fourteenth century and underwent several restoration programs by the Scottish monarchs King James IV and King James V, who also died there in 1542. The palace became a popular haunt of the Stuart monarchs and was regularly visited by King James VI, King Charles I and King Charles II. The palace went into a decline after Cromwellian troops set it on fire during the civil war.

In 1885 the palace underwent a twenty year restoration program which was funded by John Crichton-Stuart the third Marquess of Bute. In 1952 the palace was bought by the National Trust For Scotland who now own and maintain it. Today the palace, along with it's chapel, gardens and tennis courts are all open to the public. FROGMORE HOUSE Frogmore House is a Grade I listed building which stands in the grounds of Home Park near Windsor Castle in Buckinghamshire. The house was completed in 1684 and at first was used by Crown tenants of King Charles II but the king would later bestow the house upon one of his thirteen illegitimate children, George Fitzroy the Duke of Northumberland, who was the son of the king's long term mistress Barbara Villiers. In 1792 King George III purchased the house for his wife Queen Charlotte and their unmarried daughters as a quiet retreat so as they could indulge in their passion of painting. The house stands in thirty three acres of parkland known as the Frogmore Estate, which since 1928 has been sanctioned as the royal family's official burial ground.

The burial ground with it's vast array of impressive mausoleums is the final resting place of thirty six royal family members and the two former monarchs Queen Victoria and King Edward VIII along with their respective spouses Prince Albert and Wallis Simpson. In 1900 Louis Mountbatten, the grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was born there. Prince Louis as he was known at the time of his birth, would go on to become Britain's first Sea Lord, the last Viceroy of India and the longest serving head of the Armed Forces. In 2008 the house was used as the venue for the wedding of Queen Elisabeth II's grandson Peter Philips, to the Canadian former model Autumn Kelly. Today the house, gardens and estate, which are used mainly as a private entertainment venue for the royals, are open to the public over the Easter and August bank holiday periods. GREENWICH PALACE Greenwich Palace was built in 1447 by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, the brother of King Henry V.

Built on the banks of the River Thames it was originally known as Bella Court, before being renamed by King Henry V’s wife Margaret of Anjou, to the Palace of Pleasuance or Palace of Placentia. The palace was the birthplace of King Henry VIII, Queen Mary I and Queen Elisabeth I. The palace was also where King Henry VIII married his fifth wife, Anne of Cleeves. The building eventually become part of Greenwich Hospital in 1694 and then the site of the Royal Naval College in 1873. Today the site of the palace houses the buildings of the University of Greenwich and the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. HAMPTON COURT PALACE Image courtesy of Andreas Tille, wikimedia commons Hampton Court Palace was built by the friend and advisor to King Henry VIII, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, and was completed in 1514. When Henry was thwarted by the Catholic Church when he wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon, Wolsey, realising his fate, made a gift of the the palace to the king, whereupon the palace became a royal residence right up until the monarchs of the Royal House of Hanover .

The palace, which is located beside the banks of the River Thames in Richmond, Surrey, was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1952 and has been in the ownership of the preservation society Historic Royal Palaces since 1998. The palace, along with it's gardens, maze and deer park are all open to the public and the building it's self is the only former royal palace in the United Kingdom where visitors can rent apartments. HILLSBOROUGH CASTLE Hillsborough Castle is a Georgian mansion house which is used as the residence for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the British Royal Family and other visiting dignitaries when they are in Northern Ireland. Located in Hillsborough, County Down the house, which stands on ninety eight acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, was built in the 1770's and purchased by the British Government after the partition of Ireland in 1922 where it went on to become the official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland between 1924 and 1973. Today the house and gardens, which are owned and managed by the charitable organisation Historic Royal Palaces are open to the public between the months of April and September.

The castle, which is the first British royal palace located in Northern Ireland, offers visitors guided tours of the many state and function rooms located there. HOLYROOD PALACE Image courtesy of Kim Traynor, wikimedia commons The great Palace at Holyrood, situated on the Royal Mile in Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh, is the monarch's official residence when visiting Scotland. Originally built in 1128 by David King of the Scots, the palace has officially been a royal residence since King James IV in 1501. Today the Queen spends one week a year there on official public duties as well as using it as an official royal residence for other members of the royal family or visiting heads of state. Throughout the rest of the year the palace is open to the public. KENSINGTON PALACE Image courtesy of Colin Smith, wikimedia commons Kensington Palace, situated in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, began life as a Jacobean house known as Nottingham House. It was purchased by King William III of Orange and his wife Queen Mary in 1689, who undertook the architect Christopher Wren to redesign it.

Since then it has been the official royal residence of several members of the royal family, including Queen Anne, King George I, King George II, Princess Margaret, Diana Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The palace was also the site of the deaths of Queen Mary II, King William III of Orange and King George II. Today the palace is better known for it’s picturesque gardens and stunning state rooms, both of which are open to the general public. KEW PALACE There have been three palaces situated in Kew, the first of which was built during the reign of Queen Elisabeth I for her court favourite, Robert Darnley, after the death of his wife in 1560. Historians know little about this residence, other than it was probably known as Leicester House, after Darnley's ducal title, who was the Earl of Leicester. The second palace, pictured above, is known as the Dutch House due to it's fine Dutch architecture and was built in 1631 by Samuel Fortey for the private secretary to King George II.

In 1734 the Dutch House was purchased by his son, King George III, whose wife Queen Charlotte died there in 1818. In 1837 Queen Victoria gave most of the land surrounding the palace, known as Kew Gardens, to the nation followed in 1887 by the palace it's self. The palace, which is no more than a manor house really, is now owned by the preservation society Historic Royal Palaces and is open to the general public as part of Kew Gardens. The third palace at Kew was a building commissioned by King George III and designed by George Wyatt. That building was demolished by his son King George IV in 1828. MARLBOROUGH HOUSE Marlborough House was commissioned in 1711 by Queen Anne as a present for her best friend and confidante Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. The mansion, which was designed by the highly acclaimed architect Christopher Wren, is located in the City of Westminster and was bought by the Crown in 1817.

The house was the birthplace of King George V in 1865 and the royal residence of Queen Adelaide - widow of King William IV - between 1831 and 1849. The house was also the first marital home of Prince Edward and Princess Alexander, the future King Edward VII and his queen consort Alexandria. Today the house is a Grade 1 listed building which is open for private guided tours and an annual open house weekend every September. MONMOUTH CASTLE Monmouth Castle is located in the town of Monmouth in South Wales and was one of three early fortifications built by William the Conqueror after he took the British crown in 1066. The castle, which was completed around 1068, was built in order to guard the crossings on the nearby River Wye and River Morrow and was at first used as a home by King William's cousin and trusted confidante William FitzOsbern, whom the king had made the first Earl of Hereford and one of Wales' first Marcher Lords.

As time went on the castle became the preferred royal residence of King Henry IV and his wife Mary de Bohun where it became the birthplace of their second born son, the future King Henry V, in September 1386. Although most of the castle stands in ruins the fortification, which has remained one of Britain's oldest, continuously occupied military installations, is now a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument which is now home of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Regimental Museum. OATLANDS PALACE Oatlands Palace was located in Weybridge Surrey and was a favourite retreat of the Tudor and the Stuart monarchs. Henry VIII bought the original building in 1539 as a wedding present for his future bride Anne of Cleeves. However, the following year he would marry his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, at the palace. The palace went on to become the favoured residence of Queen Mary I, Queen Elisabeth I, King James I and King Charles I.

During King James I's reign his wife, Anne of Denmark, employed world renowned garden designer, Inigo Jones, to construct an ornamental garden in the grounds and during the reign of King James II the palace was used as the residence of Edward Herbert, the king's Lord Chief Justice. The house was extensively destroyed by fire in 1794 and subsequently remodeled into a Gothic style manor house by Fredrick, the Duke of York. His wife Charlotte then sold it to the well known dandy of the day, Edward Ball Hughes, who completely refurbished the building yet again, before letting it to the Conservative politician Lord Wilbraham Egerton, between the years of 1832 and 1839. In 1840 Edward Ball Hughes then had the estate broken up into three lots and sold at public auction. Today the Surrey village of Oatlands now stands on the site of the former palace and grounds. OSBOURNE HOUSE Image courtesy of WyrdLight.com, wikimedia commons Osbourne House was built between 1845 and 1851 by Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. The house was built by Thomas Cubitt from a design by the prince.

Queen Victoria and her family loved the isolation of Osbourne House, built as it was on the Isle of Wight, and spent many family holidays there. Queen Victoria died there in 1901 and after the house was made surplus to requirements by other royals, it became the Royal Naval College, Osbourne between 1903 and 1921, where future kings Edward VIII and George V studied. Today the house is now owned by English Heritage, where, along with it's estate, gardens, private beach and woodland, are all open to the general public. PALACE OF WESTMINSTER The Palace of Westminster, better known as Britain's Houses of Parliament, was originally constructed during the eleventh century by King Canute the Great, as his place of residence during the years of his reign from 1016 to 1035. Most of this building was destroyed by fire in 1512, after which it went on to be the seat of England's parliament during the thirteenth century. The oldest part of the building still remaining from that time is Westminster Hall, a cavernous area with a clearspan roof measuring sixty eight feet by two hundred and forty feet.

The hall is best known for being the location of coronation banquets since the time of King William II. Another fire in 1834 resulted in the architect, Charles Barry, designing yet another building on the site, the perpendicular Gothic building made of sand coloured limestone, that we see today. This vast building, which commands eight hundred and seventy three feet of Thames riverfront in London's City of Westminster, contains one thousand, one hundred rooms, one hundred staircases and three miles of passages, housed on four floors. The palace consists of the Halls of the House of Lords and House of Commons, two libraries, the Prince's Chamber, the Royal Gallery, the Queen's Robing Chamber, the Member's Lobby, the Peer's Lobby and several exits and entrances, including the grand Central Lobby, which measures thirty nine feet by seventy five feet and houses statues of former British monarchs and the four saints of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom.

The buildings five iconic towers are St Stephen's Tower, Speaker's Tower, which contains the official residence of the Speaker of the House, the Chancellor's Tower, Central Tower, Victoria Tower, which at two hundred and ninety feet high was once the tallest building in the world, and the three hundred and sixteen foot high, Elisabeth Tower, home of the palace's belfry, which houses Big Ben and four other bells which are synonomous with the Westminster Chimes, and it's four, twenty three feet wide, clock faces. The palace is surrounded by several green spaces, including the Victoria Tower Gardens, the only public space within the palace, Black Rod's Garden, the Old Palace Yard, the New Palace Yard, Speaker's Green, Cromwell Green and the most famous outside area of them all, College Green, where outside broadcasts and interviews with politicians are televised. PALACE OF WHITEHALL The Palace of Whitehall was commissioned during the reign of King Henry VIII and was the largest palace in Europe upon it’s completion, being larger than both The Vatican Palace and the Palace of Versailles. The palace sat on twenty three acres of land and had around one thousand, five hundred rooms.

King Henry VIII married two of his wives there, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, and it was also the site where he himself died in 1547. Over the years the palace would be remodeled by both King James I and King Charles I, before it was extensively damaged by fire in 1691 and had to be demolished. The palace gave it’s name to the ashlar stone from which it was built, and it’s name lives on in the area of London known as Whitehall. The only part of the palace which remains today is the Banqueting Hall, built in 1622 by Inigo Jones. The hall is best remembered as being the site of the execution of King Charles I in 1649. RICHMOND PALACE Richmond Palace was built on the grounds of the former Sheen Manor on the south bank of the River Thames in Richmond, Surrey by King Henry VII when he was still the Earl of Richmond. The old manor house and future palace has been the official residence of King Henry I, King Edward I, King Richard II and King Henry VII.

The palace was the location of the honeymoon of Queen Mary and Prince Philip of Spain after their marriage in 1554, the death of Queen Elisabeth I in 1603 and the home of King James I’s vast art collection. The palace is reported to have been the first royal residence to have flush toilets, installed during the reign of Queen Elisabeth I. ROYAL PALACE, EDINBURGH CASTLE Edinburgh's majestic castle, which sits atop the city's Castle Rock, has been around in one form or another since the twelfth century when it became the fortified home of Scotland's King David. The Royal Palace, which is located in a part of the castle's grounds known as the Royal Square, was commissioned by King James IV during the early part of the fifteenth century. The palace went on to become the birthplace of King James VI, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, in June 1566. Today the Royal Palace is open to the public where it is home to Scotland's vaulted Crown Room, the Stone of Scone, the impressive Laich Hall and the Birth Chamber of Mary Room.

SANDRINGHAM HOUSE This twenty thousand acre estate situated in the coastal village of Sandringham in Norfolk is the Queen's only stately home and is used by both her and other royals as a holiday home. Originally built in 1771 by architect Cornish Henley, the house was brought by Queen Victoria in 1862 as a wedding present for her eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales and his new bride Princess Alexandra. Queen consort Alexandra died there in 1925 as did her son King George V in 1935 and her grandson King George VI in 1952. The future King Olav V of Norway was born on the Sandringham Estate in 1903 and Diana Spencer, the future Princess of Wales, was also born on the estate in 1961. The house has received many renovations over the years and is one of only two privately owned royal residences of the British monarch. It is here at Sandringham House that the Royal family gather for their annual Christmas holiday.

ST JAMES PALACE Image courtesy of siegertmarc, wikimedia commons St James' Palace, situated in Pall Mall, London, was commissioned by King Henry VIII and built between 1531 and 1536 on the site of a former leper hospital which had been dedicated to St James the Less. It has been the official royal residence of several royals and was the birthplace of both Queen Anne and King Charles II. In 1941 the palace was the location of the establishment and signing of the Charter of the United Nations. Today the palace is also known as the Royal Court of St James as the royal court is formally based there, so the palace is not open to the public as it is a working palace, but it’s chapel and gardens are. Sometimes the palace is used as the London residence of visiting minor royals. STIRLING CASTLE Stirling Castle is located in central Scotland and when constructed was the first ever renaissance palace to be built in Britain. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an impressive quartz outcrop, where it can be seen for miles around.

The earliest remains of the castle buildings date back to the twelfth century but records show that there has actually been a fortification there since the ninth century when Scotland's first king, Kenneth MacAlpine, is said to have built a fortification there. During it's turbulent history the castle has been a royal residence, a garrison, a prison and the site of several sieges during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the thirteenth century. The castle has also been the location of the death of King Alexander I in 1124, the principal residences of King Robert I and King Robert II during the fourteenth century, the principal residences of King James IV, King James V and King James VI during the sixteenth century, the coronation of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543 and the baptism of King James VI in 1566. The castle has received many restoration schemes during it's history including major improvement works that began during the Victorian era which are still ongoing to this day. Today the castle, along with it's outer defenses, chapel royal, great hall, royal palace and gardens, which are all open to the public, are owned and managed by Historic Scotland.

THE ROYAL PAVILION The Royal Pavillion is located in the English seaside town of Brighton. The Pavillion was built in 1789 by George, Prince of Wales, (the future King George IV) as a house for parties and secret liasons with his mistress, Maria Fitzherbert, whom unknown to everyone else, he had actually married in secret in 1785. The house was extensively redesigned between 1815 and 1822 by architect John Nash into the Indian style building we see today. The pavilion was also used as a holiday retreat by King William IV, but was so disliked by Queen Victoria, due to it's town centre location, thar she sold it to the city of Brighton in 1850. Today the pavilion stands pride of place in the south coast resort where it has become the city's most visited tourist attraction. WINDSOR CASTLE Image courtesy of Dilif, wikimedia commons Reputed to be the present monarch's favourite home, Windsor Castle situated in Berkshire, is the world's largest inhabited castle and Britain's oldest continually inhabited castle.

Originally built between 1066 and 1087 during the reign of William the Conqueror, the castle has been renovated and remodeled by every British monarch since. As one of five official royal residences in Great Britain this four hundred and eighty thousand square foot castle is also home to St Georges Chapel, which houses the tombs of several former British monarchs and other high ranking royals. Since the accession of Queen Elisabeth II in 1952, Windsor Castle has been the official weekend retreat for the royal family. The castle is is open to the public where visitors can visit St Georges Chapel and the Queen Mother's Doll’s House among many other things. In the castle's grounds one can also explore Windsor Great Park with it's Long Walk that leads to the statue of the Copper Horse or visit the popular Royal Farm with it's onsite farm shop. The castle is also situated just minutes from the small town of Eton, home to the world famous public school that has been the seat of learning for many British and foreign royals and other nobility.

BBC ON THIS DAY | 6 | 1952: King George VI dies in his sleep 1952: King George VI dies in his sleep His Majesty, King George VI, has died peacefully in his sleep at Sandringham House. The official announcement from Sandringham, given at 1045 GMT, said the King retired in his usual health, but passed away in his sleep and was found dead in bed at 0730 GMT by a servant. He was 56, and was known to have been suffering from a worsening lung condition. Princess Elizabeth, who is at the Royal hunting lodge in Kenya, immediately becomes Queen at the age of 25. She has been informed of her father's death, and is preparing to return to London, but a thunderstorm has delayed the departure of her plane. She is expected back tomorrow afternoon, when she will take the Royal Oath which will seal her accession to the throne. We cannot at this moment do more than record the spontaneous expression of grief Prime Minister Winston Churchill The cabinet met this morning as soon as the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was informed of the news, to discuss the constitutional implications.

The House of Commons has also been suspended as a mark of respect. Before MPs adjourned, Prime Minister Winston Churchill offered their condolences, saying, "We cannot at this moment do more than record the spontaneous expression of grief." He is due to make a broadcast to the nation at 2100 GMT tomorrow. As the news of the King's death spread, all cinemas and theatres closed, and BBC programmes were cancelled except for news bulletins. Flags in every town were at half-mast, and sports fixtures were cancelled. A crowd began to gather outside Buckingham Palace during the afternoon, as diplomats from around the world arrived in official cars to write their condolences in the visitors' book. By 2100 GMT the police had to press the growing number of mourners back from the gates and on to the pavement. Despite the bitter cold and rain, the silent, weeping crowd stayed until long after it grew dark. The news was greeted with shock and grief throughout the world. In the United States, President Truman, in a formal statement from the White House, paid tribute to the King. He said, "He shared to the end of his reign all the hardships and austerities which evil days imposed on the brave British people.

"In return, he received from the people of the whole Commonwealth a love and devotion which went beyond the usual relationship of a King and his subjects." Both the US Senate and the House of Representatives voted to adjourn out of regard for the dead King. The body of King George is to lie in state in Westminster Hall from next Monday, 11 February, until the funeral. Wikijunior:Kings and Queens of England/The House of Windsor - Wikibooks, open books for an open world Wikijunior:Kings and Queens of England/The House of Windsor From Wikibooks, open books for an open world This is the latest reviewed version , checked on 4 January 2017. (+) Quality: minimal 4.3 Reign George V (1910-1936)[ edit ] The first monarch of the House of Windsor was George V. However, he started out as being of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and so he can be read about in the previous chapter. Edward VIII (1936)[ edit ] Edward VIII was born at White Lodge, Richmond upon Thames on 23 June 1894.

Edward was the eldest son of George V and Queen Mary. He was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December 1936, after which he was Prince Edward and then Duke of Windsor until his death on 28 May 1972. During World War II he was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bahamas after spending a great deal of time in Bermuda. He was known to his family and close friends, by his last Christian name, David. Prince of Wales[ edit ] In 1910, George V made Edward Prince of Wales. When the First World War broke out in 1914 Edward joined the army, serving with the Grenadier Guards. Although Edward was willing to serve on the front lines, the British government refused to allow it, because of the harm that the capture of the heir to the throne would cause. However, Edward did witness at first hand the horror of trench warfare, and visited the front line as often as he could.

His role in the war, although limited, led to his great popularity among veterans of the conflict. Throughout the 1920s the Prince of Wales represented his father, King George V, at home and abroad on many occasions. He took a special interest in visiting the poorest areas of the country. Abroad the Prince of Wales toured the British Empire, undertaking 13 tours between 1919 and 1935. In 1928, King George V gave Edward a home, Fort Belvedere, near Sunningdale in Berkshire. There Edward had relationships with a series of married women, including the American Wallis Simpson. Simpson had divorced her first husband in 1927 and later married Ernest Simpson. Edward's relationship with Wallis Simpson further weakened his poor relationship with his father, King George V. The King and Queen refused to receive Mrs Simpson at court, and his brother, Prince Albert, urged Edward to seek a more suitable wife. Edward, however, had now fallen in love with Wallis and the couple grew ever closer. Reign[ edit ] King George V died on 20 January 1936, and Edward became King Edward VIII.

The next day he broke royal protocol by watching the proclamation of his own accession to the throne from a window of St James's Palace in the company of the still-married Mrs Simpson. It was also at this time that Edward VIII became the first British monarch to fly in an aeroplane, when he flew from Sandringham to London for his Accession Council. It was now becoming clear that the new King wished to marry Mrs Simpson, especially when divorce proceedings between Mr and Mrs Simpson were brought at Ipswich Crown Court. Powerful figures in the British government deemed marriage to Mrs Simpson impossible for Edward, even if Wallis obtained her second divorce, because he had become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England which prohibited remarriage after divorce. On 16 July 1936, an attempt was made on the King's life. Jerome Bannigan produced a loaded revolver as the King rode on horseback at Constitution Hill, near Buckingham Palace. Police spotted the gun and pounced on him, and he was quickly arrested. At Bannigan's trial, he alleged that "a foreign power" had paid him £150 to kill Edward, a claim the court rejected.

On 16 November 1936, Edward met with Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin at Fort Belvedere and expressed his desire to marry Wallis Simpson when she became free to do so. The Prime Minister responded by presenting the King with three choices: he could give up the idea of marriage; marry Wallis against his ministers' wishes; or abdicate. It was clear that Edward was not prepared to give up Wallis. By marrying against the advice of his ministers, it was likely that he would cause the government to resign, prompting a constitutional crisis. The Prime Ministers of the British dominions had also made clear their opposition to the King marrying a divorcée; only the Irish Free State was not opposed to the idea of marriage. Faced with this opposition, Edward chose to abdicate. Edward duly signed an instrument of abdication at Fort Belvedere on 10 December 1936. The next day, he performed his last act as King when he gave Royal Assent to His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 which applied to the United Kingdom and all the dominions except the Irish Free State.

The Free State passed the equivalent External Relations Act, which included the abdication in its schedule, the next day. On the night of 11 December 1936, Edward, now reverted to the title of The Prince Edward, made a broadcast to the nation and the Empire, explaining his decision to abdicate. He famously said, "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love." After the broadcast, Edward left the United Kingdom for France, though he was unable to join Wallis until her divorce became absolute, several months later. His brother, Prince Albert, Duke of York succeeded to the throne as King George VI. George VI made Edward the Duke of Windsor. The Duke of Windsor married Mrs Simpson, who had changed her name by deed poll to Wallis Warfield, in a private ceremony on 3 June 1937 at Chateau de Candé, Monts, France. None of the British royal family attended.

World War II[ edit ] In 1937, the Duke and Duchess visited Germany as personal guests of the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, a visit much publicised by the German media. The couple then settled in France. When the Germans invaded the north of France in May 1940, the Windsors fled south, first to Biarritz, then in June to Spain. In July the pair moved to Lisbon. In August a British warship took them to the Bahamas, where the Duke of Windsor was made Governor. He held the post until the end of World War II in 1945. Death[ edit ] After the war, the couple returned once again to France in Neuilly near Paris, where they spent much of the remainder of their lives in retirement. The Royal Family never accepted the Duchess and would not receive her formally, although the former King sometimes met his mother and a brother after his abdication. The Duke died of throat cancer in 1972 in Paris, and his body was returned to Britain for burial at Frogmore near Windsor Castle. The Duchess travelled to England to attend his funeral, staying at Buckingham Palace during her visit.

The Duchess, on her death a decade and a half later, was buried alongside her husband in Frogmore simply as "Wallis, his wife". The Duke and Duchess had no children. George VI (1936-1952)[ edit ] George VI George VI was born at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on 14 December 1895. He was the second son of George V and Queen Mary. He was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British dominions beyond the seas from 11 December 1936 until his death on 6 February 1952. George VI was also the Emperor of India (until 1947) and King of Ireland (until 1949). George VI came the throne after the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. He was king during the Second World War. He was known as Bertie, after his first name, Albert, to his family. Early life[ edit ] As a child, George often suffered from ill health and he was described as "easily frightened and somewhat prone to tears".

Albert developed a severe stammer that lasted for many years as well as chronic stomach problems. He also suffered from knock knees, and to correct this he had to wear splints, which were extremely painful. He was also forced to write with his right hand although he was a natural left-hander. In 1909, Bertie joined the Royal Navy and served as a naval cadet. Despite coming in at the bottom of the class, Albert moved to Dartmouth and served as a midshipman. He was still in the Navy when Edward VII died on 6 May 1910. Albert was now second in line for the throne. Albert served during World War I. He saw action aboard HMS Collingwood in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. In 1917 Albert joined the Royal Air Force but did not see any further action in the war. After the war, Albert studied history, economics and civics for a year at Trinity College, Cambridge, from October 1919. In 1920, he began to take on royal duties, representing his father, King George V.

Marriage and children[ edit ] Albert had a great deal of freedom in choosing his wife. In 1920 he met Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and set his sights on marrying her. She rejected his proposal twice before she said yes. They were married on 26 April 1923. They had two children: Elizabeth, born in 1926, and Margaret, born in 1930. Reign[ edit ] The Duke and Duchess lived a relatively sheltered life at their London residence, 145 Piccadilly. When Edward VIII he abdicated on 11 December 1936, however, Albert became King George VI. The growing likelihood of war in Europe would dominate the reign of King George VI. Initially the King and Queen took an appeasement stance against the German dictator Adolf Hitler, and supported the policy of Neville Chamberlain. In 1939, the King and Queen visited Canada from where they made a shorter visit to the United States of America. George was the first reigning British monarch to visit either of these countries.

The aim of the tour was mainly political, to shore up Atlantic support for Britain in any upcoming war. The King and Queen were extremely enthusiastically received by the Canadian public. They were also warmly received by the American people, visiting the 1939 New York World's Fair and staying at the White House with President Roosevelt. When war broke out in 1939, George VI with his wife chose to stay in London and not flee to Canada, as had been suggested. The King and Queen officially stayed in Buckingham Palace throughout the war, although they often escaped to Windsor Castle to avoid bombing raids. George VI and Queen Elizabeth narrowly avoided death when a lone German bomber despatched to bomb Buckingham Palace attacked. The bomb exploded in the courtyard, shattering windows in the palace. Throughout the war, the King and Queen provided morale-boosting visits throughout the UK, visiting bomb sites and munition factories. On Victory in Europe (VE) Day, the Royal Family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the end of the war in Europe. After the war, George VI's reign saw the start of the break up of the British Empire, in particular when India became an independent dominion, with George VI giving up the title of Emperor of India.

Death[ edit ] The war had taken its toll on the King's health. This was made worse by his heavy smoking and he got lung cancer. Increasingly his daughter Princess Elizabeth, the heir to the throne, would take on more of the royal duties as her father's health got worse. On 6 February 1952, George VI died aged 56 in his sleep at Sandringham House in Norfolk. He was buried in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. In 2002, the body of his wife Elizabeth and the ashes of his daughter Princess Margaret were interred in a tomb alongside him. Elizabeth II (1952 onwards)[ edit ] Elizabeth II was born at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She is the eldest daughter of George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth II is the current Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of many other independent nations too. She became Queen on 6 February 1952. She is currently the second-longest-serving head of state in the world, after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

Early life[ edit ] Elizabeth was thirteen years old when World War II broke out. She and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, were evacuated to Windsor Castle, Berkshire. There was some suggestion that the princesses be sent to Canada, but their mother refused to consider this, famously saying, "The children could not possibly go without me, I wouldn't leave without the King, and the King will never leave". In 1940 Princess Elizabeth made her first broadcast, addressing other children who had been evacuated. In 1945 Princess Elizabeth joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. She was the first and so far only female member of the royal family actually to serve in the military. Elizabeth made her first official visit overseas in 1947, when she went with her parents to South Africa. On her 21st birthday she made a broadcast to the British Commonwealth and Empire pledging to devote her life to the service of the people of the Commonwealth and Empire. Marriage and motherhood[ edit ] Elizabeth married The Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947. The Duke is Queen Elizabeth's second cousin once removed, they are both descended from Christian IX of Denmark. The couple are also third cousins.

After their wedding Philip and Elizabeth took up residence at Clarence House, London. But at various times between 1946 and 1953, the Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer. Philip and Elizabeth lived in Malta for a period between 1949 and 1951. On 14 November 1948 Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Charles. They later had three other children: Anne, Andrew and Edward. Reign[ edit ] King George's health declined during 1951 and Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events. She visited Greece, Italy and Malta (where Philip was then stationed) during the year. In October she toured Canada and visited President Truman in Washington, DC. In January 1952 Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. They had reached Kenya when word arrived of the death of her father on 6 February 1952. At the moment she became aware she was now queen, she was in the Treetops Hotel. After the Coronation, Elizabeth and Philip moved to Buckingham Palace in central London.

It is believed, however, that like many of her predecessors she dislikes the Palace as a residence and considers Windsor Castle, west of London, to be her home. She also spends time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at Sandringham House in Norfolk. At the time of Elizabeth's accession there was much talk of a "new Elizabethan age". As nations have developed economically and in literacy, Queen Elizabeth has witnessed over the past 50 years a gradual transformation of the British Empire into its modern successor, the Commonwealth. She has worked hard to maintain links with former British possessions, and in some cases, such as South Africa, she has played an important role in retaining or restoring good relations. Queen Elizabeth has become the most widely travelled head of state in history and has visited many Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries. In 2002 she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, marking the 50th anniversary of her accession to the Throne. The year saw a large tour of the Commonwealth Realms, including numerous parades and official concerts. Then in 2012 she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, marking the 60th anniversary of her accession to the Throne.

Question: In which royal residence did both George V and George VI die?
Answer: Sandringham House